The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has accused its embattled National Secretary, Dr. Olu Agunloye, of colluding with a legal firm, AI Law Practice to issue fraudulent appointment letters under the party’s name, in a move the party described as unauthorized and criminal.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), the SDP disassociated itself from recent appointments made in its name, including the controversial naming of Dr. Ugochukwu Uba as National Secretary. The party clarified that Uba is neither a registered member nor a card-carrying participant of the party in Uga Ward 1, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The party said the alleged appointments did not originate from the SDP leadership and warned against the continued impersonation of its executive authority.
Referring to a memo obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the SDP reaffirmed that only documents jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary are recognized as authentic for official party communication or appointments. INEC, in its response to AI Law Practice, emphasized that correspondence from political parties must be duly signed by the authorized executives, not third parties or proxies.
Despite this, Dr. Agunloye was reported to have written directly to INEC to notify it of an alleged NWC meeting and invited the Commission to observe — a move INEC also rejected as improper and unauthorized.
“The party views these actions by Mr. Agunloye as repeated attempts to undermine the party’s integrity through fraudulent and criminal maneuvers,” the NWC stated.
EFCC Trial Over $6bn Mambilla Project Intensifies
Meanwhile, Agunloye is concurrently facing a seven-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), relating to the unauthorized award of the $6 billion Mambilla Hydropower Project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) in 2003, during his tenure as Minister of Power and Steel.
At the resumed hearing on June 16, 2025, the third prosecution witness (PW3), Assistant Commissioner of Police Umar Babangida, told Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the FCT High Court, Apo, that Agunloye’s successor, Senator Liyel Imoke, had informed investigators that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) did not approve the memo authorizing the award of the project.
According to Babangida, Imoke — who served as Minister of Power after Agunloye — provided a written statement to the EFCC confirming that he advised Sunrise Power to participate in a competitive bidding process rather than rely on the earlier unauthorized letter.
“Senator Imoke informed the team that until he left office in November 2006, no valid FEC approval had been given for the project,” Babangida said, adding that the testimony was provided in Imoke’s own handwriting.
However, when Babangida attempted to disclose his investigative team’s broader findings, defense counsel Adeola Adedipe, SAN, objected, arguing that no such report had been tendered in court and therefore should not be referenced. Prosecuting counsel Abba Mohammed, SAN, countered that investigators are allowed to give oral testimony based on their findings.
After hearing both arguments, Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter to July 7, 2025, for a ruling on whether the oral testimony about the report would be admissible. The court further adjourned the substantive trial to July 10 and 16, 2025 for continuation.
